Generate Scripts in SQL Server (big files) - sql

I am in process of moving my database from SQL Server 2012 to SQL Server 2008. Since I can't just restore them like if I was moving from 2008 to 2012 I have to use generate scripts for data and schemas.
Problem is I have some HUGE database files. One of the files generate becomes 19gb. There does not seem to be any way to move this file because I think the size itself makes the file corrupt. I cant open the file in the SQL Server Management Studio and even using the .bat script it fails (it just freezes). My other tables I have no problem with but they are much much smaller.
What could fix this would be if there was a way to split the data up in several files like each file is 100mb or whatever, then I could make a script that would execute them all, but is this possible?
If not what do you guys suggest?

I would suggest you create a database with the same name in SQL Server 2008 (and possibly tables) and try to do a replication between the two database with SQL Server 2008 as the subscriber, just once should do

If you have the ability, you could also try creating a linked server entry on the 2008 box that points to the 2012 one. Then, you can use the four part fully qualified name (server.database.schema.table) to SELECT the rows from the 2012 instance and INSERT them into the 2008 instance.

Related

Updating a SQL server from a remote .dbf file

I currently have two servers. One is a server with .dbf files that get updated very frequently, and the other is a server with SQL Server workgroup edition on it.
Problem: I need to update the SQL Server tables from these remote .dbf files, how is it done? I need these files to be pulled automatically from the server every X amount of hours.
Research thus far:
I believe I understand how to update tables having the .dbf file on the same server as the SQL Server database, you would use the DTS management studio provided with SQL Server. I don't believe this solution would work trying to pull these .dbf files remotely. I have looked into a Linked Server, but don't understand what that really is. These .dbf files come from a visual foxpro server. As far as i know visual foxpro has no interface like SQL? If anyone has any advice in order to point me into the right direction, this would be much appreciated. I can usually find the answers, but feel pretty helpless on this one... Thanks in advance for any effort put into this problem.
A linked server is basically just a pointer that lets the code within your database interact with external data sources as if they were also within your database/instance. There are some examples here for creating linked servers to FoxPro DBFs:
http://fox.wikis.com/wc.dll?Wiki~VisualFoxProDataFromSQLServer
So for example if you had a linked server to a FoxPro database called MyFoxProDB you could run a query within SQL Server like this:
UPDATE t
SET t.foo = x.bar
FROM dbo.LocalTable AS t
INNER JOIN MyFoxProDB...TableName AS x
ON t.key = x.key;
You could also consider using OPENROWSET as described in this question:
Import DBF files into Sql Server
(But personally I think the linked server will be a lot more flexible.)

How can I move data from one SQL Server to other?

I want to copy all my database to remote database server. I have access to server using SQL server management studio.
How can I do this? I have created script with data of old database and tried to run it on new server but it is taking too much time and returns different errors like duplicate key etc.
If this is a one time deal, you should download Redgate's SQL tools. They can handle this easily and are free to test for 14 days I believe. (http://www.red-gate.com) You might even find they are worth the purchase as I have. The tools you would use are SQL Compare (to copy structure) and SQL DAta Compare to actually copy the data.
Assuming that you can restore databases to your remote SQL server, you can use SQL Server backup and restore? They're available in SQL Server Management Studio. See http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms187510.aspx. It's very easy to use.
Other than that, you can try copying the database MDF and LDF files from your local database onto your remote database filesystem, then attaching to the MDF file on your remote database.
Those are probably the fastest ways that you can copy and entire database to a remote location that I can think of.
Try Database publishing wizard by Microsoft. Good enough for no very big data amounts.

How to create SQL Server Express DB from SQL Server DB

I have a SQL Server 2008 DB. I want to extract SOME tables (and associated schema, constraints, indexes, etc) and create a SQL Server Express DB. It isn't a sync of the target, we stomp on it.
We ONLY need to do this in the file system (not across the wire). We are not fond of the synchronization stuff and at this point don't know how to run SSIS. We are a C# shop and a little code is ok. Like using the C# bulk import stuff, but that won't create the schema.
Suggestions?
My suggestion:
Back up the database
Restore under new name and file
Detach restored database from SQL Server
You now have a standalone file that you could use with SQL Server Express.
We use a tool from Red-Gate called SQL Compare to generate schema-complete SQL scripts. It's about $400, but well worth it. You pick the objects you want (users, tables, views, functions - whatever) you want, and it will generate a SQL Script to re-create them in your new database. Essentially, it's the same as Right-Click -> "Script To... New Window" in SSMS, but all at once, and it has a number of other features your shop might find useful as well.
As Scott pointed out (I couldn't figure out how to comment on his post), you can do a backup and restore, detach and attach from one server version to another assuming that the database is less than 4GB.

Is it possible to restore Sql Server 2008 backup in sql server 2005

Is it possible to restore a backup of a SQL Server 2008 database onto an instance of SQL Server 2005?
I need to work on an sample application for which database backup is in sql server 2008.
But I'll not be able to install 2008. So is it possible to restore that back up in 2005?
No. It is not possible to restore a database from a backup of a newer version.
If you are dead set on it, I think your best option is to selet the database in the Object Explorer in SQL 2008,
right-click, select Tasks->Generate Scripts.In the options dialog emable about everything, including Script Data.
And make sure you select "Script for SQL 2005".
Source
When importing the objects into your target server, if the objects are large you may find that you can't open the SQL file via Management Studio (with a completely useless "The operation could not be completed" error, no less). That's okay, just load the file via sqlcmd.
One important thing is missing in all answers and that is the fact that Generate Scripts in SSMS doesn’t order the scripts correctly.
Scripts have to be ordered in the correct dependency order so that child tables are created after parent tables and such.
This is not an issue for small databases where its easy to reorder the scripts manually but it can be a huge issue when dealing with databases that have 100+ objects.
My experience is that its most convenient to use third party tools that can read backup and generate scripts in the correct order. I’m using ApexSQL Diff and Data Diff from ApexSQL but you can’t go wrong with any popular vendor.
No, not directly. SQL Server 2008 database backups are not backward compatible with SQL Server 2005. However, with SQL Server 2008 Management Studio, you can script data and schemas in SQL Server 2005 mode. This article describes the process in detail.
Yes it is possible
Using the export in the SQL Server 2008. Go to All Programs --> Microsoft SQL Server 2008 --> Import and Export Data
Then SQL Server Import AND Export Wizard window will be opened. Press Next
Choose a Data source (in your case from SQL Server 2008). Choose a Destination( in your case from SQL Server 2005).
Select Copy data from one or more tables or view
Select the source's tables and destination's tables
Click Next & Finish
to complete.
I have had this problem for a long while.
You cannot restore SQL2008 backups onto an SQL2005 instance.
And for me, workarounds like import/export wizzard or to script the database from SQL2008 using the generate scripts with the for SQL2005 option won't work.
Because simply, my databases cross-reference each other inside their views and stored procedures or udfs. They do not befall to my responsibility completely and so I cannot consolidate them into 1 database.
They are a set of 6 dbs that refer to each other directly inside their views and stored procedures.
When I transfer them from one SQL2005 instance onto another, I usually do full-backup/restore.
If I were to script them, even with the with dependencies option I would get errors at re-creation time as db1 will not find views inside db3 because it so happened that I executed the create db1 script first. If I tried db3 first I get similar exceptions.
The only way to script them so that I won't have such dependency exceptions, is to figure out a sequence that works and script them partially in that manner: say: db1_tables followed by db2_tables followed by db2_views followed by db1_views, sp, udfs etc.
I have such a sequence. And when I need to create a new set of such 6 dbs, I executed the smaller partial scripts in sequence.
This explains why the generate scripts, with dependencies and with data and set to SQL2005 version scripts, will just not work for me.
The import/export wizzard is better in my case because it will copy tables and then you still have to script all views, sp, udfs etc.
What I really need is a conversion tool for SQL2008 backup files, to convert them to SQL2005 format. Then my problem will go away.
Or some kind of a tool that would allow restore from SQL2008 full-backup files, without asking me too many questions.
If anyone knows such tools and have used them, let me know.
You can use DBSave, it's a great freeware tool to backup and restore ms sql server on different machines.
It's verry simple to setup and to use.
No you can't, but tools like red gate's SQL Compare/Data Compare can read backup files directly & transfer the info across to a live database, dealing with any syntax or settings that aren't compatible on SS2005
Having had no luck with the Import/Export stuff (flat file exports failed on import claiming charset mapping issues [even though same charset used throughout] and/or truncation issues [even though source and destination had exact same structure]), and having had no luck with using the "generate scripts" option suggested by Garry Shutler (it generated a script with syntax errors), I was finally able to copy the big table I wanted to copy from 2008 to 2005 using the SQL Server bcp utility. So that's another option for this situation, although for an entire database it would be table-by-table and probably doesn't help with views and such.
The steps I used:
On the source server, use "Script Table As...CREATE" to get the structure, run that on the target server.
On the target server, create a bcp format file using your newly-created table:
bcp database.owner.table format nul -f table.fmt -n
(If you're not using Windows auth, you may need the -U and -P options to specify username and password.)
Copy that format file to the source server (if necessary).
Export the data to file on the source server:
bcp database.owner.table out table.dat -f table.fmt
(Again, possibly with -U and -P.)
Copy the data file to the target server (if necessary).
Import the data on the target server:
bcp database.owner.table in table.dat -f table.fmt
(Again, possibly with -U and -P.)
In hopes that proves useful to someone else.

Restore SQL Server 2008 DB *to* SQL Server 2005

Got myself in a bit of a pickle here ... working on a CMS project, under the assumption that sql server 2008 was greenlighted as the db of choice. Well it wasn't, we now have to backport all of our content out SQL Server 2008 and into SQL Server 2005.
A simple backup/restore procedure yields: "RESTORE HEADERONLY is terminating abnormally. (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 3241)".
Unfortunately, exporting the data to an excel spreadsheet yields multiple OLE errors which I believe is actually a problem in the db of the cms.
Does anyone out there have other approaches they would like to recommend for this task? Thanks in advance
Use RedGate:
tool for comparing and deploying SQL Server database contents.
You can work with live databases, backups, or SQL scripts in source control. Damaged or missing data can be restored to a single row, without the need for a full database recovery.
SQL Data Compare helps you compare and deploy changes quickly, simply, and with zero errors...
There is no way to do this by default. You can generate scripts for 2008 database on 2008 server and then execute these scripts on 2005 version. Note that you’ll have to manually review scripts and remove all parts that are unique to 2008 version.
Another way is to use third party tools such as Red Gate or ApexSQL Diff (move schema) and ApexSQL Data Diff (move data).
Use the Generate SCripts to create the database and schema and ensure you target SQL Server 2005 and script data.
Rather than do a backup and restore you might try using SQL 2005's Import/Export Data wizard.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314546
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms140052(SQL.90).aspx
I've just hit the same problem and here is how I worked around it.
The problem was to copy a database from an operational SQL Server 2008 database to a new SQL Server 2005 database.
I scripted the database using Management Studio on the 2008 server. I only scripted the database design, not the data. I should add also that the DB only has tables and indexes, so I haven't tried this with any cleverer objects although I can't think why they wouldn't work.
On the 2005 server I created a new database by hand and then ran the script to set up all the tables and indexes.
The in Management Studio back on the 2008 server I used the Export Data wizard to export the data from the 2008 server to the 2005 server. It's currently running and seems quite happy moving the data.
Once all the data is across I'll have a couple of small things left to do - create the users and set-up the security in the 2005 DB, but all-in-all it doesn't look like a bad way of doing it. It's not quite point-and-click but it's not too strenuous.
So it seems that the Copy Database wizard won't work (I think because the package ultimately runs on the 2005 server and 2005 Management Studio can't talk to 2008) but the Export Data wizard is quite happy moving data ... as long as the DB already exists on the target server.
Hope that's useful.
It's not possible to restore to previous versions in SQL Server
Is there no SQL 2005 backup around? Otherwise you really are limited to export the entire database in 2008, and re-import back into 2005, or the Import/Export wizard in 2008
Or rely on 3rd party tools. e.g. Red Gate Data Compare is able to sync. the DATA between 2 servers/databases
I only use mysql but can you export your data into sql statments, and then import then into sql2005? Just a thought..
I faced a similar problem (sql 2005 to sql 2000), and found that I happened to have a blank database at the older version. I used bcp.exe to copy all the data.
check this link click here
You can create the database script in sql server 2008 and you can use it sql server 2005 and lower version....